May Current Events 2023: World News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the World news events you need to know so far for May 2023.
- 25 People Dead, After Series Of Russian Air Strikes Hit Ukrainian Cities
- Evacuation From Sudan Extended By United Kingdom Government
- Uzbekistan President To Remain In Power After Vote To Allow Him To Extend His Tenure
- Ding Liren Wins World Chess Tournament To Become First Chinese Male World Champion
- Six Libyans Face Possible Execution For Converting To Christianity
- 13-Year-Old Boy Killed Nine In Serbian School
- WHO Declares That Covid-19 Is No Longer A Global Health Emergency
- King Charles III Crowned At The Westminster Abbey In London
- Syria Reinstated Into Arab League After Relations With Assad Normalize
- Russia Launches Biggest Drone Attack In War With Ukraine
- Former Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, Arrested In Islamabad
- Riots In Guinea Kill Two, Leaving Several People Injured
- Linda Yaccarino Appointed As New CEO Of Twitter By Elon Musk
- Joint Action Against China To Be Pledge By United States And EU
- Government In New Zealand Pledges $720 Million For Recovery From Cyclone And Flood
- Presidential Election In Turkey Heads To Run-Off
- Fire Engulfs Hostel In New Zealand, Kills At Least Six People
- Interest Rate In Zambia Raised To 9.5% To Tame Inflation
- Zelensky Plans To Attend The G7 Summit In Japan
- Manchester City FC Crowned Champions Of England After Arsenal Loss
- At Least 12 People Died In Crush At Stadium In El Salvador
- Largest Oil Refinery In Africa Launched By Aliko Dangote
- Prince Harry Loses Challenge To Pay For Police Protection In UK
- Hitler’s Birthplace To Be Used For Police Human Rights Training
25 People Dead, After Series Of Russian Air Strikes Hit Ukrainian Cities
Photo Source: AP Photo/Bernat Armangue
Friday, April 28, 2023 — At least 25 people have been confirmed after Russia launched a series of air strikes on cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv. Officials confirm that the attack that hit blocks of flats in the central city of Uman killed 23 people, including four children. Another woman and her 3-year-old daughter were killed in the city of Dnipro.
Rescuers were still working at the sites of the explosions, several hours after the attack, residents were also seen trying to retrieve some of their belongings. In the buildings nearby, residents were seen fixing their broken windows.
The Russian defense ministry, after the attack, said the strikes were targeted at Ukrainian army reserve units.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky the attack is evidence that further international actions have to be taken against Russia.
Source: BBC
Evacuation From Sudan Extended By United Kingdom Government
Photo Source: AP Photo/Gbemiga Olamikan
Sunday, April 30, 2023 — The British government has announced its intention to carry out an additional evacuation flight from Sudan on Monday. The announcement came after the government had previously suggested that efforts to bring British nationals out of Sudan had ended.
On Sunday, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in a statement urged UK nationals that still have plans on leaving Sudan, to find their way to the airport in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast, by noon local time on May 1.
Andrew Mitchell, FDCO minister told reporters that so far, the operation of evacuating the UK nationals has been successful, but said they cannot stay there forever, considering the dangerous circumstances. FCDO confirm that it had evacuated 2,122 people on 23 flights, regarding it as the longest and largest evacuation effort of any Western country from Sudan.
Source: The Guardian
Uzbekistan President To Remain In Power After Vote To Allow Him To Extend His Tenure
Photo Source: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
Sunday, April 30, 2023 — On Sunday, Uzbekistan votes on constitutional amendments that reset President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s term count to zero, in exchange for its citizens getting greater social protections. The constitutional amendment could allow him to run for two more seven-year terms.
The reform also extends the presidential term from five years to seven years. This would allow Mirziyoyev to remain in charge of ruling the country with a population of 35 million up until 2040. His current term ends in 2026.
A 62-year-old voter, who refuse to give her last name said “Their lives have been improving, and under this president, they hope it will continue.” She also added that she does not mind the extension of the presidential term, thanking the president for what he has done for them.
The referendum was declared valid by the Central Election Commission after the turnout surpassed 50%.
Source: Reuters
Ding Liren Wins World Chess Tournament To Become First Chinese Male World Champion
Photo Source: AP Photo/Stanislav Filippov
Monday, May 1, 2023 — Ding Liren defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi to become China’s first men’s world chess champion. Ding, who is 30-year-old won a rapid-play tie-breaker after 14 first-stage games at the World Chess Championship in Kazakhstan.
The victory Ding makes him the 17th winner of the world chess tournament, while Nepomniachtchi, who had been to the grand final before, fell at the hurdle for the second time. Ding succeeds Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, who is a five-time champion. Magnus said he was not motivated to defend his title.
Ding said “The moment Ian resigned from the game was a very emotional moment. He said he could not control his feelings.” He also mentioned how relieved he was after his victory. The prize money, €2m ($2.2m) will be shared between the two players with a ratio of 55-45.
Source: BBC
Six Libyans Face Possible Execution For Converting To Christianity
Photo Source: Getty Images
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 — Six citizens of Libya are facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity and proselytizing. Activists say the law is increasingly being used to silence civil society and human rights organizations.
The six Libyans have been charged under Article 207 of the penal code. The code punishes anyone who attempts to circulate views that are aimed at altering fundamental constitutional principles, or the fundamental structures of the social order. Libya’s Internal Security Agency (ISA) said the reason for the arrest was to stop an organized gang action aiming to solicit and make people leave Islam.
Human rights organization Humanists International believes Libya’s constitution is largely based on religion. An interim constitution that was written in 2011, after ousting of the former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, guarantees non-Muslims the freedom to practice their faith.
Source: The Guardian
13-Year-Old Boy Killed Nine In Serbian School
Photo Source: AP Photo/Armin Durgut
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 — Eight pupils and a security guard were killed by a 13-year-old fellow pupil. The attack has prompted the President of Serbia to announce tougher curbs on gun ownership.
The head of Belgrade police, Veselin Milic during a press conference said the attacker was in possession of two guns and petrol bombs, and that he had also planned out his attack carefully. Mr. Milic also added that he had the names of the children he wanted to kill and also their classes.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic vowed to step up checks on gun control. Amidst Serbia’s preparation for three days of national mourning, the president announced a moratorium on new gun licenses other than the gun for hunting.
The shooter turned himself over to the police. Given he is below Serbia’s age of criminal responsibility, he will be placed in a psychiatric institution. His father and mother have been arrested.
Source: Reuters
WHO Declares That Covid-19 Is No Longer A Global Health Emergency
Photo Source: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi
Friday, May 5, 2023 — The World Health Organization declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency. At WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committees’ 15th meeting on Covid-19, they discussed the pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, agreed that declaration of public health Emergency on international concern, or PHEIC, should end.
The organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020, six weeks before it was characterized as a pandemic. WHO officials said Covid-19 is still spreading, as the virus remains a global health threat, but at a lower case of concern.
WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead and head of its program on emerging disease, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, said the world is now past the emergency phase of Covid-19. Still, he said the disease is here to stay, adding that the coronavirus that causes the disease is not going away soon.
Source: CNN
King Charles III Crowned At The Westminster Abbey In London
Photo Source: AP Photo/Petr David Josek
Saturday, May 6, 2023 — King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey. The coronation marks the symbolic beginning of a new royal era in Britain. The King was anointed with holy oil and swore the oath of kings in an elaborate ritual that has not been witnessed in Britain since 1953. After the oath, the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, placed Edward’s crown on his head, and all chanted, “God save the King.”
There were accusations of heavy-handedness from the police after some of the anti-royalist protesters, including the head of the U.K.’s leading anti-monarchy campaign group, were arrested before the beginning of the procession.
Whilst swearing the oath, the King promised to govern the United Kingdom and the 15 Commonwealth countries according to the law and to cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed.
Source: The Guardian
Syria Reinstated Into Arab League After Relations With Assad Normalize
Photo Source: AP Photo/Syrian Presidency Facebook Page
Sunday, May 7, 2023 — A spokesperson of the Arab League said that the foreign ministers of the Arab League had adopted a decision to have Syria readmitted into the league after more than a decade of suspension. The membership of Syria in the Arab League was suspended in 2011.
The decision, it means Syria could resume its participation in Arab League meetings with immediate effect. They also called for a resolution of the crisis resulting from Syria’s civil war, which includes the flight of refugees to neighboring countries and drug smuggling across the region.
According to the decision on Sunday, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Secretary General of the Arab League would form a ministerial contact group to liaise with the Syrian government and seek a steady solution to the crisis.
Source: Reuters
Russia Launches Biggest Drone Attack In War With Ukraine
Photo Source: AP Photo/Andrew Kravchenko
Monday, May 8, 2023 — Russia launched fresh waves of drones and missile strikes on Ukraine. Explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight. The mayor confirmed that five people had been injured in what he described as the most significant kamikaze drone attack so far.
Ukrainian military confirmed that the latest attack by Russia was launched shortly after midnight and lasted for over four hours. Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones were seen all across the country. The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, said close to 60 drones were launched by Russia, which makes it the most significant attack of such.
The military administration of Kyiv said emergency services responded after wreckages of drones fell on a runway at Khuliany international airport, which is one of the city’s two commercial airports. The President of Ukraine announced that May 9 would be celebrated as Europe Day.
Source: BBC
Former Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, Arrested In Islamabad
Photo Source: AP Photo
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 — The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was arrested after appearing in court in Islamabad to face charges in a separate corruption case. Lots of security forces in riot gear were seen dragging the high-profile politician into an armored vehicle.
Hours after Imran Khan's arrest, many protests erupted across the country, with the army being accused of orchestrating his detention. One protester has been reportedly shot dead in the city of Quetta after he was shot by an officer near a military checkpoint.
The former Prime Minister had traveled to Islamabad on the morning of Tuesday to request bail in two corruption cases, some of many involving corruption, sedition, and terrorism he is facing. Immediately he entered the court premises, agents from the National Accountability Bureau arrested Khan.
Source: The Guardian
Riots In Guinea Kill Two, Leaving Several People Injured
Photo Source: Getty Images
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 — Two people died in Guinea’s capital Conakry due to the clash between the riot police and anti-government protesters. Many people were also injured as a result of the protest. The riot is the latest in several protests since the coup by the military in 2021, which has been holding back on its promise to hand over power back to civilians.
A peaceful demonstration was called by a committee formed by the opposition groups, civil society organizations and activists on Wednesday and Thursday in Conakry and other places. In a joint statement, they said they were ready to liberate their country and promised that any attempt to deny them of democracy and fundamental freedom would be prevented.
Demonstrations of a much smaller scale also went down in Nzerekore, a town in the southeast and in the central town of Dabola.
Source: Reuters
Linda Yaccarino Appointed As New CEO Of Twitter By Elon Musk
Photo Source: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Friday, May 12, 2023 – Six months after taking over Twitter, Elon Musk has named a new chief executive of the social media company. Mr. Musk said the former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, Linda Yaccarino, would oversee business operations at the site, which has been finding it difficult to make money.
Elon Musk will, however, remain involved as executive chairman and chief technology officer. He wrote on Twitter that “he is looking forward to working with Linda to transform the platform into X, the everything app.”
Musk took over control of Twitter after buying the social media platform last year for $44bn. He has since then been under pressure to look for another person to lead the company and refocus his attention on his other businesses.
Ms. Yaccarino will become part of the rare example of women at the top of a major tech firm.
Source: BBC
Joint Action Against China To Be Pledge By United States And EU
Photo Source: AP Photo/Saul Loeb
Saturday, May 13, 2023 – The United States and the European Union will pledge joint action to look into concerns about China concerning non-market practices and coordinate their export controls on semiconductors and other goods at a meeting later this month.
Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, Vice-President of the European Commission, Margarethe Vestager, and other senior officials are expected to meet in Lulea, Sweden, on May 30-31. The meeting will be the fourth edition of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
They also plan to coordinate their controls on sensitive items, including goods with military use and semiconductors. Also, part of their aim is to cooperate to counter foreign manipulation of information, including “China’s amplification of Russian disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine.”
Source: Reuters
Government In New Zealand Pledges $720 Million For Recovery From Cyclone And Flood
Photo Source: AP Photo/New Zealand Defense Force
Sunday, May 14, 2023 – The government of New Zealand has promised to allocate NZ$1.1 billion (US$720 million) to assist communities recovering from cyclones and floods that lashed the country this year. The funds, which is from the budget of 2023, are expected to take care of basic things, such as rebuilding roads, rail, and schools, and also flood protection.
The government has estimated the cost of the disaster to be up to NZ$14.5 billion, which is the costliest disaster in the country after the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011, which damaged the city of Christchurch.
After pressure from the opposition party, the government also said that it would not introduce any major new tax to fund recovery in this year’s budget, despite the natural disasters, which is to be delivered on Thursday.
Source: Reuters
Presidential Election In Turkey Heads To Run-Off
Photo Source: AP Photo
Monday, May 15, 2023 – The supreme election council in Turkey has confirmed that the President of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, will go head-to-head with his opposition rival in a run-off election. The Chairman said Mr. Erdogan led the first round of the election with 49.51%.
Mr. Erdogan’s main opposition, Kemal Kilocdaroglu, polled 44.88% of the total vote. However, Mr. Erdogan requires more than half the vote to win the race outrightly. May 28 has been set for the second round of the election, with Mr. Erdogan the clear favorite.
Mr. Erdogan has been the president of Turkey for over 20 years. He started out as the prime minister before becoming president, extending his powers further after a failed coup in 2016.
Several flaws were highlighted in the election by the international monitoring group OSCE. They pointed out that Mr. Erdogan and the ruling parties had enjoyed an advantage which is not justified.
Source: BBC
Fire Engulfs Hostel In New Zealand, Kills At Least Six People
Photo Source: Getty Images
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 – Six people have been confirmed dead after a fire tore through a hostel in Wellington's capital. Authorities are still trying to determine how many people died from the incident. Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed that the top floor of the four-story building was on fire upon their arrival at the hostel.
Local politicians said it is not unusual that the authorities do not know exactly who’s there because people always come and go.
According to information from Loafers Lodge Website, the hostel provides 92 rooms with common areas, kitchens, and laundry facilities and is within walking distance of Wellington Hospital in Newtown. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Chris Hipkins, visited the site and expressed his sympathy for the victims and their loved ones.
Source: CNN
Interest Rate In Zambia Raised To 9.5% To Tame Inflation
Photo Source: AP Photo/Michel Euler
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 – The Central Bank of Zambia raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 9.50% as inflation remains high. The Bank of Zambia confirmed that inflation was expected to remain above the six to eight percent target, which will run until the last quarter of next year.
Also, that bank raised its primary rate by 25 basis points at its previous rate-setting meeting in February. Before then, the bank has kept it unchanged at 9.0% since November 2021.
During the COVID-19 era, the southern African country became the first to default on its sovereign debt and has struggled after a relief deal with its external creditors. The Central Bank said Further delays in external debt restructuring, amongst other things, remain key upside risks to the inflation outlook.
Source: Reuters
Zelensky Plans To Attend The G7 Summit In Japan
Photo Source: AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau
Friday, May 19, 2023 – The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is set to travel to Japan for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in person. This is seen as a display of confidence and Western solidarity from Ukraine’s president as he attempts to maintain important alliances with other nations.
The trip will be the first Ukrainian President’s trip to Asia since the invasion of Ukraine last year in February. The war in Ukraine is already at the top of the agenda of the three-day G7 summit, where leaders from the world’s wealthiest democracies are expected to support Ukraine.
Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said the physical presence of Ukraine’s president is very crucial to defend the country’s interests and also providing clear proposals and clear arguments on the events that are happening in the country.
Source: CNN
Manchester City FC Crowned Champions Of England After Arsenal Loss
Photo Source: AP Photo/Jon Super
Saturday, May 20, 2023 – On Saturday, Manchester City were declared the winners of the Premier League for the fifth time in six seasons after Arsenal, who is in second place, lost their match against Nottingham Forest. Mathematically, Arsenal needed at least a point to stay in the race for the title but lost 1-0.
Since Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bought the club in 2008, they have won seven Premier League titles. They are two wins away from completing a treble only achieved by Manchester United in 1999.
The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, has won 12 trophies since he was hired by the club in 2016. The captain of the Club, Ilkay Gundogan, describes the Premier League as one of the most competitive leagues in the world and says winning it is very special.
Source: Reuters
At Least 12 People Died In Crush At Stadium In El Salvador
Photo Source: AP Photo/Milton Flores
Sunday, May 21, 2023 – Officials confirm that not less than 12 people died due to Stampede and commotion at a stadium in El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador. The incident happened during a match between the local team, Alianza, and Fas at the Cuscatlan Stadium.
President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, described the incident as unprecedented and said it would be investigated. He also added that everyone would be investigated, teams, managers, stadium officials, the league, and also the federation.
Earlier on, Police said seven men and two women were part of those who died. All the victims were said to be over the age of 18. The minister for health, Francisco Alabi, said that most of the people injured are in stable condition, and there has been no death report from the hospital.
Source: BBC
Largest Oil Refinery In Africa Launched By Aliko Dangote
Photo Source: AP Photo/Sunday Alamba
Monday, May 22, 2023 – The biggest oil refinery ever built in Africa opened in Nigeria, which plans to alleviate chronic fuel shortage. Nigeria, which is a major oil producer, has most of it sent abroad while having to import refined fuel used in vehicles and elsewhere.
Although the plant is not operational, it can produce 650,000 barrels of petroleum products daily. The refinery also includes a power station, deep seaport, and fertilizer plant. Building the plant was $19bn (£15.2bn).
During the launch on Monday, the owner of the refinery, Mr. Aliko Dangote, who is the richest man in Africa, said the first goal of the refinery is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that they can satisfy the need of the country this year.
Source: BBC
Prince Harry Loses Challenge To Pay For Police Protection In UK
Photo Source: AP Photo/Peter Dejong
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 – Prince Harry lost a legal challenge that seek the right to pay for his police protection while he is in the United Kingdom, the high court in London Ruled. The lawsuit is one of many that the Duke of Sussex is pursuing in the country.
Prince Harry was challenging the decision that had his police protection removed after stepping down as a working royal. The judge of the high court denied the bid, Mr. Justice Chamberlain. Thus, He is expected to pay for his protection in the UK.
The ruling on Tuesday came nearly after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were chased by a paparazzi car in New York last week. Their spokesperson said that the event could have had a catastrophic outcome.
Source: CNN
Hitler’s Birthplace To Be Used For Police Human Rights Training
Photo Source: AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – Austria has decided that the house that Adolf Hitler was born in will be used to provide human rights training to police officers. The authorities hoped it would be the last chapter in a long saga of what to do with the building.
After a long legal battle, the house, which was built in the 17th century, located in Braunau am Inn, very close to the German border, was purchased by the government in 2016 under a compulsory purchase order.
The authorities said the development to turn it into a training center, incorporating a police station, would cost €20m. The recent survey shows that most Austrians did not support the decision made by the authorities.
Members of an expert committee had, from the beginning, ruled out demolition or turning the house into a memorial center.
Source: The Guardian
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